The Way of LIFE | 1 John 2:3-6

Bible reading for today is from 1 John chapter

1 John 2:3–6

2 verse 3 to 6 and I'll be reading from the ESV

version. So chapter 2 starting at verse 3 and

by this we know that we have come to know him

if we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know

him but does not keep his commandments is a liar

and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps

his word in him truly the love of God is perfected

by this we may be sure that we are in him whoever

says he abides in him ought to walk in the same

way in which he walked this is the word of the

Lord good morning everyone it's great to be together

as it's said been said already it is really wonderful

actually to be together to pray together sing

together praise the Lord together in such a public

way. And now we're about to come around God's

holy word, the eternal words of life. And so

would you please pray with me as we turn to scripture

this morning? Indeed, Father, we ask that you

would speak to us this morning, that this wouldn't

be a simple Bible lesson, but you would help

me, Lord, to proclaim these words truthfully,

clearly. And Lord, that you would be honoured,

you would be glorified, and you would have our

praise and affections here this morning. We ask

for this for the sake of Christ and in your name,

amen. Church, how do we know that we really know

Jesus? How do we know that we have really come

to be in relationship with the living God? How

do we know that we're actually a Christian and

have received the very spirit of God? Or to put

that another way, how do we know that we have

come into a saving relationship with Almighty

God and will spend eternity with him in glory?

Well, these are very important questions. And

very important questions that our apostle John

doesn't want us to be in the dark about. And

so John has given us, in these words that we

have before us this morning, some standards to

test ourselves against in order to help us come

to a certain answer about these important questions.

But first a bit of context. If you've been with

us for the past few weeks, you'll know that we're

in the first letter of the Apostle John written

to the church in Ephesus, where John has been

giving answers to some of the false teaching

that had found its way into the congregation

there. The first error that he addressed was

the false teaching that you can have a saving

relationship with God while still living and

absolutely life. The second error that he addressed

was the teaching that once you became a Christian

you're now a person who's perfect and absolutely

without sin. The third error that he addressed

was that once you became a follower of Christ

you no longer committed sin because you no longer

had a sin nature, it some way disappeared. These

have been some of the erroneous teachings that

the Apostle John has addressed for us thus far

in this letter. And he's had to address these

things because those Christians are now new creations

and walking in the light and in the truth of

the gospel. We still wrestle with sin and we

need to deal with our sin. realistically. And

so John has been clear about how we are to do

that, how we are to deal as Christians with ongoing

sin. And that's by confessing it to God and experiencing

His ongoing grace on this side of our Lord's

return. To put it simply, Christians aren't to

live in the dark and deny that we have sin still

attacking and tempting us, but we are to live

in the light and in the truth and to grow in

the grace of God and the knowledge of the gospel

by confessing and experiencing our loving Father's

ongoing grace in our lives. And we're able to

do this because as we saw last week, our status,

our salvation, our righteousness has come from

the work of Christ. He is our propitiation. There's

that fancy word we had a look at last week, which

means he is our atoning sacrifice, says John,

who now stands before our heavenly father as

our advocate and righteous representative. And

so far from encouraging the church to live a

life of sin, our apostle does just the opposite.

He encourages Christians to live a life of holiness

and he does that by pointing out the reality

of the situation that we find ourselves in on

this side of our Lord's return while reminding

us to keep looking and going to Christ in the

midst of our battles and ongoing temptations.

This morning, John Our apostle presents us with

a few things in which we can examine ourselves

so that we might be sure that we are living and

really walking in the light, while not deceiving

ourselves by walking in the darkness. He gives

us three things in fact. First, he says, if you

know God, if you're following Jesus, you'll obey

him. Second, he says, if you know God, you'll

love his word. And third, he says, if you know

God, and he uses the phrase to abide in Christ,

it will produce a godly life. One that looks

more and more and more like the perfect man,

Jesus Christ. So for the next few moments, let's

unpack these wonderful truths. If you have your

Bibles with you this morning, have a look with

me at verse three there. We read, and by this

we know that we have come to know him if we keep

his commandments. Now, I want to make something

really clear to you from the get -go. We must

understand... That in light of everything that's

come before in this series, in this epistle that

we've been looking at, that John isn't now saying

to us, this is how you come to know Jesus, by

obeying him. No, it's not like John has told

us the gospel. and then comes to this part of

his letter and then says if you want to benefit

from Christ's blood and his intercessionary work

in the heavenlies then you must obey and then

you'll be saved. Now John is simply saying this

is how you really know that you're following

Jesus. It's shown in the way you live. It's shown

in the way that you act. And so from the get

-go, it's very important for us to see that John

isn't saying that we come to know Jesus by keeping

his commandments. No, he's saying we know that

we already know Jesus by keeping his commandments.

There's a very, very important distinction and

difference that we need to see there. It's like

that little fuel gauge that you have on your

dashboard in your car that tells you how much

fuel is actually in the car. That little gauge

doesn't make the engine work, right? Now it simply

tells you something about what's already going

on in the engine. It's not the source of power

in that sense. No, it's just the evidence of

something that's already going on under the bonnet.

And so it's important that the people of God,

the church make that distinction here because

our apostle, he gives us a standard in which

we are to reflect on. In order to know if we've

really come into a living relationship with God

and to know if we're actually following Christ.

It's simple. If we know him. will obey him. If

we know Jesus, we will keep his commandments.

So brothers and sisters, do you desire to follow

what God says to us in the Bible? Is the Bible

your standard and final authority for life and

faith? Do you hear the word of God and does it

lead and guide you? Are the words of Christ something

that you love, that you treasure and deeply desire

to obey? Is the Bible something that you've come

to trust is absolutely trustworthy and something

to be believed and then applied in every which

way, even when it might cost you, even when it's

very, very hard to follow? I was reading an article

this week on the Christianity Today's website

about outspoken comedian and atheist Ricky Gervais.

Maybe you've heard of him. Surprisingly, as a

child, he believed in Jesus. Mainly because,

as he put it, that's what he was told to believe.

The article said that he went to Sunday school

and he thought Jesus was... Kind of cool, even

though he didn't understand a lot of the Bible

stories. Like most kids, Ricky said he put it

down to what his parents had told him to believe.

But everything changed, he said, when he was

asked by his older brother why he didn't believe

in God. Ricky said, I realized I didn't actually

have an answer. I realized I had nothing to point

to to help me to answer that question. And I

share this with you because Ricky's rejection

of God doesn't reveal a flaw in the word of God

which tells us that the living God has spoken

to us. Now it reveals a flaw in Ricky's faith

in what God has spoken to us about, about himself

in his word. I mean, it's as John says here,

if someone truly believes in the living God,

then they'll also believe in his word and they

will trust what it says and they will obey it.

If only Ricky knew that he could look to the

Bible for the answer. Maybe he will one day.

Now just to be crystal clear with you here this

morning, Church, John isn't saying that Christians

must keep Christ's commandments as found in the

Bible perfectly in order to have the assurance

that we're really saved. Now what John is saying

to us here is that because we know that God has

spoken to us and because we strive to obey, to

keep his commandments, because of that we can

know that we have come to know Christ. I mean

if John was saying that we needed to keep the

commandments of God perfectly in order to know

that we're actually saved. then he would be absolutely

contradicting himself with everything that he's

just said up until this point in regards to Christ's

blood of atonement, about Christ's sacrifice

on our behalf, about everything he's told us

about sin and confession and grace. If we're

really honest with ourselves, Church, I don't

think any of us Not one of us in this room would

have any real assurance of knowing that we're

actually saved if the standard was sinless perfection.

This isn't a new question. In fact, the reformers

really struggled with this very thing. Martin

Luther, who was a 16th century reformer and theologian,

he wrestled with this very concept. Listen to

his words. This life is not perfect righteousness,

but growth in righteousness, not health, but

healing, not being, but becoming, not rest, but

exercise. We're not there yet to what we shall

be, but we are growing towards it. The process

is not yet finished, but it is going on. And

so our apostle, he's He's very clear with us

here this morning. The evidence of really knowing

God, the evidence that we're walking in the truth

and in the light of the gospel is that our life

is being transformed because we obey Christ's

commands, which we know to be true. It might

not be perfect obedience, but there is obedience

nonetheless. John's straight with us here. One

of the ways that we can know that we know God

is that we believe His word. We follow His word

and we strive to obey the commandments of our

Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It's the first

thing that our apostle has to say to us here.

The second thing John says is found there in

verse four and it's a contrast really with what

he's just said. In verse three, he says, whoever

says, I know him, but doesn't keep his commandments

is a liar. And the truth is not in him. Again,

John is not mincing his words for us this morning,

is he? If you claim to know God, but there's

no real change. That's a strong indication that

you actually don't know God or the truth of the

gospel at all. It's like if you were to stand

in a pitch black, dark room while saying to yourself,

don't worry, the light bulb's plugged in, I've

studied electricity, I know how it all works,

but you're still standing in an absolutely pitch

black, dark room. At some point, it doesn't matter

what you say, if there's no light, something

is clearly not right. I mean, it doesn't take

an electrician to point out to you that if the

bulb were truly connected to power and the light

was working, then, well, it would shine. Well,

as absurd as that picture is, that's the kind

of thing that John's getting at here. If you

can say that you're in the light, but your life

looks like utter darkness, then either you're

confused, deceived, or worse, completely lying

to yourself. So as John says, if you say, I know

Jesus, but you reject what he has to say to you,

You reject the word of God, well, you're a liar.

The truth is not in you, our apostle would say.

Now, just to be clear, deep Bible study, learning

original languages, reading theological books,

listening to church history, podcasts, can I

have an amen, Shelley, and other such things.

They're all really good and well, and great to

do, in fact, if you have the time and resource

to do so. But John, he clearly says to us here,

no matter what you think you know about God,

if your heart hasn't been changed by the truth

of the gospel and that truth isn't evidently

working itself out in your life, then dear one,

you are still in the dark. And that's because

the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel

always results in a change of life and action.

A globe connected to power that's working will

produce light, we might say. And that's the glorious

thing about the gospel. The glorious thing, if

it penetrates the heart, if it really gets hold

of somebody and brings them into a living and

intimate relationship with God through the work

and the power of the Holy Spirit, then it will

change everything. It will change everything

because the heart goes from hating God and wanting

to be our own gods to loving God. and trusting

his word. And because of that deep surgery, that

born again life done by the work and the power

of the spirit, we will want to obey our Lord

with all that we are. That's what leads to the

transformed life. Not all the theological head

knowledge and rule keeping done in public in

order for people to think that you're a holy

person, but the truth. of the gospel penetrating

our hearts and our hearts being transformed by

the Holy Spirit so that we might love Jesus and

love what he tells us. John is very straight

with us. If we know God, we will want to obey

him because the truth of the gospel always leads

to action. To put that simply, there's no real

knowledge of God that does not lead to a transformed

life. And so you can see how John contrasts a

couple of things here with verse three. When

that transformed life isn't there, when there's

no evidence of any real change of heart or action,

well, that's a clear indication that that person

has never really met. the living Lord Jesus.

But where there's obedience, where there's striving,

where there's confession, where there's perseverance,

where there's faith, what we can know, we can

know that we've come to know the living God.

That's the second thing we see here. The third

thing is found in verse five. And it's pretty

much what John's already said in verse three,

but he leans onto a little bit of a different

emphasis here. He says, but whoever keeps his

word in him, truly the love of God is perfected.

By this, we may know that we are in him. Now

what's interesting here is John's. comment his

emphasis on love. In verse three, he challenges

the church to test ourselves by asking, are you

obeying the commands of our Lord? But in verse

five, you'll notice the emphasis, it's on motivation,

which is love. You see, John takes our attention

to love because true love always expresses itself

in some sort of action. Which is to say, it's

not something, true love isn't something that's

just a feeling or found in sentimental language.

I mean, if that was the case, then our budgies

at home would be the most loved little fluff

balls in the world. Because me and the kids,

we always go on about how much we love these

little winged creatures. But really, at the end

of the day, it's only... Haley, who feeds and

waters them and actually keeps them alive. Our

words, they're loving, they're cheesy for these

little things, no doubt, but it doesn't really

lead to much action. Haley's actions, however,

they speak louder than words. That's our apostle's

point. True love is always expressing itself

in action. And here in this context of this letter

that we have before us this morning, that action

is moral obedience to God's commands, to our

Lord's commands. American theologian and pastor

Albert Barnes, he puts it like this, if this

is the true interpretation of the passage, then

it affirms that if true love exists in the heart

for God, it will be carried out in the life of

the one who claims it. Love and obedience are

two sides of the same coin in that sense. One

will be manifested by the other. Where there's

obedience, there is love. Where there is love,

there is obedience. True love for Christ, brothers

and sisters, it leads to action. And that action

leads to loyal obedience to the things revealed

by our God in His Word. It's like a marriage.

One spouse may say whatever they want, they may

have the most romantic words, they might write

the most beautiful poetry, but if they're continually

cheating on their spouse, then clearly, there's

no real true love for their spouse. And so in

very much the same way, John is saying if you

truly love God, you'll be loyal to him. You'll

be committed to him and as you obey that love

will be experienced more and more and more Evidently

as you walk it out Love Church love delights

in doing and serving not just saying Think with

me here on John 14 on the night that our Lord

was betrayed he's going to be handed over into

the hands of sinners and be crucified. And he

said to his disciples, if you love me, you'll

keep my commandments. If you love me, you'll

keep my commandments. Brothers and sisters, any

church, any denomination, any teacher, any theologian,

any pastor that teaches that you can love Christ

and not keep his word contradicts the very word

of God. We act because we love. Look what love

caused our Lord and Saviour to do for His people.

Look what the Lord did for us because of love.

One last thing that I want to draw your attention

to here is found in verse 6. We read, whoever

says he abides in him ought to walk in the same

way in which he walked. Essentially, John is

saying to us that we can say we love God, we

can say that we're a Christian, that we can say

we've gone to church our entire lives, but if

you're truly living in the light and if you truly

know God, if you're abiding in Christ, then you'll

live like Christ. How did Christ live? Well,

he loved his father and he lived in obedience.

to him. The thing that separates the sheep from

the goats, the light from the dark, the true

disciple from the deluded one, isn't so much

what we say, though that's very important, our

words do matter, but it's how we live out our

lives in light of the Word of God. To abide in

Christ is, as we've seen, to experience a life

-giving relationship that comes through the grace

of God, through the Holy Spirit. If we abide

in Christ, if we truly belong to Him, that will

change everything about us from the inside out.

It's as Jesus said to Nicodemus, we will be born

again. Church, the real Christian life isn't

a religious life that's lived out in public exclusively.

so that you can tick a whole bunch of boxes to

gain people's approval. Now the real Christian

life is a living and breathing relationship of

love and obedience and activity and loyalty to

God's Word and obeying Christ in all that we

do because the Holy Spirit has so done something

in our hearts that we desperately want to be.

like our Lord and Saviour Jesus. So John says,

for the one who abides in Christ, everything

about you will be transformed because your heart,

your will, your hopes, your affections have found

their joy in Christ. To put that simply, Christ

is your treasure and because of that life in

Christ, because of that fellowship of love and

relationship, your whole life will be changing

more and more and more into the image of Christ.

Christ who loved and obeyed his Father, no matter

the cost to himself. As we finish, brothers and

sisters, if perfect obedience and perfect love

for that matter is the test, then every single

one of us in this room has failed miserably.

Failed miserably. That's why Christ had to pass

the test. for us. And by God's grace alone, He

calls us to Himself through the Gospel. He transforms

us by the power of the Spirit so that from the

inside out, from the seat of the heart, from

the depth of our very souls, love for God, obedience

to His Word is our delight. It's not a burden.

It's our want to do what He wants. You and I

aren't there yet. We're not in sinless perfection

just yet. We are what the theologians call an

already but not yet people, already saved, yet

still being sanctified, already separated from

our old slave master, yet still learning to live

out our new lives in Christ. How do we know that

we know God? This was the question we started

with. We know that we know God according to the

Apostle John here because we love him and that

love manifests itself in heartfelt obedience

and loyalty to our Lord and Saviour Jesus. This

is an incredibly important message. Because there

may be some of you here this morning that as

soon as you're not around church, that as soon

as you're back out into the world, into the workplace,

around other people, it's just business as usual.

And in no way are you living in accordance with

God's word, nor do you really want to. Well,

John would say, come to grips, come to grips

with the reality of what that shows you. Come

to grips with the reality of the darkness that

you are still walking in, dear one, and cry out

to God for mercy. You're not here by any mistake

this morning. You're meant to hear these words,

cry out to Him today while it is still called

today. Ask God to come and rescue you. The promise

from Scripture is that he will in no way cast

out anyone who comes to him. There may be others

of you here this morning that are really wrestling

with your faith and wondering if you're saved

at all because of the sin that still seems to

hinder and taunt and test and tribulate you and

you fall into it. You may be wondering if you

are saved. Well, John would say to you that God

isn't asking for perfect obedience. Though he

would ask, do you long to obey God's word? If

the answer is yes, I so desperately want to follow

our Lord, then be encouraged, brother, sister.

Be encouraged, a heart. that has been changed

by the work of the Holy Spirit wants to live

in accordance with our Lord's will and will strive

to do so. And so go to him. Go to him and call

out to him as your father and ask him for the

grace that he provides for his people as we confess

our sin. He provides for us in the Lord Jesus

Christ. Might you be encouraged by these words

this morning? Let's pray. Father we thank you

so much for the words of eternal life. We thank

you that we are not clamouring around blind and

in the darkness wondering what you're like but

you have revealed yourself and Lord you have

saved your people. You have rescued your people.

And Lord, as we seek to obey, as we seek to walk

in the truth, Lord, we stumble. So we'd ask that

you would please have mercy on us, that you would

have grace, that you would show us the things

that we err in. And Lord, that we would continually

be a people looking to you. A people knowing

your ongoing grace, growing in love and experience

of your salvation. We ask that we would be a

church that doesn't just talk about these things,

but holds these things out to the city of Armidale

and beyond. Lord, we ask for this for your glory

and in your name. Amen.